Automatically-threading loom shuttle



Patented Dec. 16, 1930 srAT s unrr HORACE E. WHITE AND GEORGE M. F. DEPFER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIG NORS TO DBAPER CORPORATION, OF I'IOPEIDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION OF MAINE AUTOMATICALLY-THREADING LOOM SHUTTLE Application filed October so, 1929. Serial No. 403,459.

This invention relates to automatically threading loom shuttles and is more particularly directed to the thread tensioning means thereof. v V

It is now the ordinary practice to provide automatically threading loom shuttles with some character of thread tensioning means whereby the filling thread will be delivered from the shuttle under tension during weaving. In order that'perfect cloth may be woven it is desirable that the thread tensioning means shall act upon the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and maintain the same tension thereon during subsequent weaving and many attempts have been made to provide such general character of tension.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an automatically threading loom shuttle with a ball tension device which will not only serve to tension the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, but will maintain the same tension thereon during subsequent weaving.

Another important feature of the invention consists in a ball tension device for automatically threading loom shuttles wherein the tension exerted upon the thread is effected by directing the thread between the side of the ball and the adjacent side wall of the thread passage so that the entire weight of the balldoes not rest upon the thread and the thread is not permitted to sustainthe en tire weight of the'ball.

As the shuttle is picked following replenishment the filling thread swirls in a circle as it is withdrawn from the shuttle and in ac- Fig. l is a plan view of the front portion of an automatically threading shuttle provided 1n the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a threading block containing the present invention, some of the parts being broken away toshow those beyond; a

Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section on the line 4l of Fig. 1.

The shuttle 1 has the usual bobbin chamber 2 in which is detachably supportedthe fillmg carrier or bobbin 3. Frontward of the bobbin chamber the shuttle is provided with a side delivery eye 4 and extending longitudinally of the shuttle is the longitudinal thread passage 5. In the present instance of the invention the shuttle is provided with a threading block6 in which the longitudinal thread passage 5 is formed and mounted in the longitudinal passage is the ball tension device preferably contained within the longitudinal passage at the rear portion of the threading block adjacent the bobbin chamber.

The threading block 6 has the usual thread director 7 which, on the secondpick of the shuttle following replenishment directs th thread to the side delivery eye.

The threading block 6 has the sidewalls 8 and 9 between which the thread tension ball 10 is supported;.and as one of the purposes of the present invention consists in support ing the tensioningball 10 so that one side of the ball may rest against the side wall of the longitudinal thread passage, a seat is formed in the threading block of such a char acter asto cause the ball 10 to take position in the longitudinal thread passage with one side of the ball resting or bearing against one side wall of the thread passage.

As one convenient form of means for thus supporting the ball in the ball seat or cavity consists in an eccentric formation of the walls of the longitudinal thread passage where the ball is located. In the present instance as inported in its seat or cavity in the longitudinal thread passage the lower end portion of the wall 12 will cause the ball to gravitate to and rest upon the opposite side Wall 11 substantially at the point 13.

The. lower portion of the ball seat or cav it-y may extend through the lower wall of the thread passage as indicated at 1 1, and as the bolt 15 which secures the threading block in the shuttle may be directed beneath the opening 14 in the lower *all of the thread passage, the bolt 15 has a reduced portion 16 located directly below the ball.

From the construction thus far described it will be apparent that the space between the ball 10 and side wall 12 of the thread passage is sufiiciently wide to permit the swirling thread to pass downwardly into the longitudinal thread passage at the side of the ball, then under the ball, then upwardly to the opposite side of the ball where it rests upon the curved side wall 11, and s nce this is the position which the thread takes on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment it will be noted that the thread will be tensioned between the side wall of the ball and the adjacent side wall of the longitudinal thread passage.

In order that the thread be ma ntained in its tensioning position as just described, the present invention further contemplates a thread guide, the thread supporting surface of which is above the bottom of the ball so that the thread is maintained in its tens oning position between the side of the ball nevertheless confined between the two thread guides and the upper over-hanging portion of the walls of the thread passage.

A convenient and practical form of thread guide as shown in the present instance of the invention consists of a pin extending transversely of the thread passage and having its thread supporting or guiding surface above the bottom of the ball. \Vhile two such thread guides or pins are shown in the present instance of the invention. it may not always be necessary to use more than. one and confine the ball from movement longitudinal- 1y of the thread passage by other means.

Where two thread guides are employed as hereinbefore noted, one is in front and one in rear of the ball as shown and such thread guides are herein disclosed as two pins 17 and 18 which are secured to the opposite side walls of the thread passage and, as shown, each pin 17 and 18 is held in a socket or hole in the side walls of the thread passage so that when the threading block is secured in the shuttle, endwise' movement of the thread guiding pins 17 and 18 is prevented.

Since the thread supporting surface of the pins 17 and 18 is above the bottom of the ball the thread 0 will be maintained above the bottom of the ball during weaving so that the entire weight of the ball shall not rest upon the thread but only bear upon the thread between the side wall of the ball and the adjacent side wall of the thread passage, the effect being that the thread tension on the first pick of the shuttle and during subsequent weaving will be exerted between the side of the ball and the side wall of the thread passage.

Since the thread 0 is withdrawn from the snuttle through the side delivery eye at one side of the thread passage it is desirable to support the ball with its surface in contact with the side wall of the thread passage extending backwardly from the side eye.

As the thread is withdrawn from the shuttle it will take a natural course towards the side delivery eye wall of the thread passage, but to secure a further tendency of the thread to take the position described, the thread guiding means or pins 17 and 18 are directed transversely across the thread passage in an inclined direction rearwardly towards the wall of the thread passage against which the balls rests. This inclined position of the pins or the thread guides 17 and 18 is probably best illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein it will be noted that the end portions 19 and Q0 of the pins are nearer the bobbin chamber than are the end portions 21 and 22 thereof, but in any eventthe thread supporting surfaces of the thread guides remain above the bottom of the ball and thereby serve to insure that the thread shall be tensioned between the ball and the adjacent side wall of the longitudinal passage both on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and during subsequent weaving with the result that the same tension is maintained upon the thread through the weaving operation.

The inclined position of the thread guides or pins 1? and 18 may not always be necessary but such inclination is sometimes desirable. in weaving with certain kinds of thread and when so inclined serve to direct the thread laterally of the thread passage towards the tensioning position.

From the construction described it will be noted that after the thread has once passed beneath the ball on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and consequently takes its tensioning position between the side of the ball and the adjacent side wall of the thread passage, the entire weight of the ball does not exert tension of the thread but the tensionin effect is secured by the gravilating tendency of the ball towards one side of the thread passage.

The tensioning ball may be made of any suitable material such for instance, metal, glass, porcelain or the like.

What is claimed is p 1, An automatically threading loom shuttle having a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a thread tensioning ball loosely mounted in the longitudinal thread passage to engage and tension the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishlnent, a ball cavity having side walls formed on curves one of which is higher than the other to cause the ball to gravitate to one side wall, a thread guide extending transversely of the thread passage above the bottom of the ball and over which the thread draws to direct the thread above the bottom of the ball and to one side thereof that the thread may be tensioned between the side of the balland the adjacent side wall of the longitudinal thread passage during weaving.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye and a longitudinal thread passage provided with a ball cavity, the side Walls of which are eccentric to each other, a ball loosely mounted in said cavity and positioned to normally bear upon that side wall of the cavity, leading to the side delivery eye by the eccentrically arranged side walls of the cavity.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye and a longitudinal thread passage provided with a ball cavity the side Walls of which are eccentric to each other, a ball loosely mounted in the ball cavity and normally held against one side Wall of the cavity by the eccentrically arranged side walls thereof.

4. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye and a longitudinal thread passage provided with a ball cavity the side walls of which are eccentric to each other, a ball loosely mounted in the ball cavity and normally held against one side wall of the cavity by the eccentrically arranged side walls thereof and a thread guide having its thread guiding surface in a plane above the bottom of the ball to direct the thread between the side of the ball and the adjacent side wall of the ball cavity against which the ball rests.

5. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye and a longitudinal thread passage, a ball contained within the longitudinal thread passage, two pins, one in front and one in rear of the ball, having their thread supporting surface above the bottom of the ball to direct the thread laterally to one side of the ball that the thread may be tensioned between the side of the ball and the side wall of the thread passage during Weaving. 6. An automatically threading loom shut-v tle having a side delivery eye and a longitudinal thread passage, a ball loosely contained within said longitudinal thread passage, thread guiding means in the longitudinal thread passage having the thread supporting surface above the bottom of the ball and extending transversely of the thread passage in a-direction diagonally inclined to the longitudinal axis thereof that the thread may be directed by the inclined thread supporting surface to one side of the ball and be tensioned between the side of the ball and the side wall of the longitudinal thread passage.

7. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side delivery eye and a longitudinal thread passage, a ball loosely mounted in the longitudinal thread passage to bear upon one side wall thereof, a thread guide having its thread guiding surface above the bottom of the ball and extending transversely of the longitudinal thread passage in a direction diagonally inclined rearwardly towards the wall of the longitudinal thread passage in which the side delivery eye is formed and against which the ball rests.

8. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a side-delivery eye and a lon itudinal thread passage, a ball loosely mounted in the thread passage to bear upon the delivery eye side wall thereof, a thread guide in front and a thread guide in rear of the ball having their thread guiding surfaces above the bottom of the ball and extending transversely of the longitudinal thread passage in a direction inclined rearwardly towards the delivery eye side wall against which the ball rests.

In testimony Wherof, we have signed our names to this specification.

HORACE E. WHITE.

'GEURGE M. F. DEPFER. 

